Evolving Approaches To Managing Marine Recreational Fisheries

"Increasing coastal populations, rising recreational demand, and growing conflicts with other users are adding to the challenge of managing marine recreational fisheries today. Traditional regulations - such as daily bag limits and seasonal closures - are often not enough to control fishing impacts and they tend to generate greater discontent and lower economic benefits in the angling community as they become more restrictive. This volume is the first to examine management approaches that promise to better control fishing, generate more information on fishing impacts, and give anglers more freedom to enjoy their sport."--BOOK JACKET.

Marine recreational fishing is a popular activity enjoyed by more than 9 million Americans annually and is a driver of the American ocean-or blue-economy. To ensure that fish populations are not overexploited, the NOAA Fisheries' Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) monitors recreational catch through a variety of in-person, telephone, mail-in, and other surveys. NOAA Fisheries' management of recreational catch also must take into account annual catch limits (ACLs) established to prevent overfishing for all managed species in federal waters. While MRIP has worked to improve recreational catch surveys over the past decade, the surveys were never designed to meet the demands of in-season management of ACLs. In some cases, estimates of harvest have triggered accountability measures such as early season closures and reductions in future recreational ACLs, which have been a source of contention with the recreational fishing community. This report presents approaches for optimizing MRIP data and complementary data for in-season management and considers alternatives for managing recreational fisheries with ACLs to better serve both social and economic management objectives.

The importance of recreational fisheries is increasing in many transitional economies. These guidelines focus on recreational fisheries and describe strategies to promote environmentally sustainable and socially responsible management of such fisheries. To this end, the document details policy, managerial and behavioural recommendations for sustainable recreational fisheries.

The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) is responsible for collecting information on marine recreational angling. It does so principally through the Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP), a survey program that consists of an in-person survey at fishing access sites and a mail survey, in addition to other complementary or alternative surveys. Data collected from anglers through MRIP supply fisheries managers with essential information for assessing fish stocks. In 2006, the National Research Council provided an evaluation of MRIP's predecessor, the Marine Recreational Fisheries Statistics Survey (MRFSS). That review, Review of Recreational Fisheries Survey Methods, presented conclusions and recommendations in six categories: sampling issues; statistical estimation issues; human dimensions; program management and support; communication and outreach; and general recommendations. After spending nearly a decade addressing the recommendations, NMFS requested another evaluation of its modified survey program (MRIP). This report, the result of that evaluation, serves as a 10-year progress report. It recognizes the progress that NMFS has made, including major improvements in the statistical soundness of its survey designs, and also highlights some remaining challenges and provides recommendations for addressing them.

Living Marine Resources provides a thorough, up-to-date introduction to all aspects of fisheries science. This clearly written text offers insight into a topic of increasing importance--the wise utilization and management of sea fisheries to maximize production without exceeding their carrying capacity. Adoption of the approaches presented will improve the conservation and management of the many world fisheries that are suffering from years of inefficient practices. The book is divided into five sections, beginning with an introduction to the ocean environment and the various resource species. Part two examines fisheries biology, including age, growth, fecundity, and mortality, enabling readers to appreciate yield models designed to give estimates of maximum sustainable yield and maximum economic yield. The third part covers gear, methods, and landings and includes material on the handling and processing of seafood as well as aquaculture. In part four, yield models are presented to introduce students to theories on population dynamics, stock assessment, and management. The book concludes with coverage of recreational fisheries, including socioeconomic importance, catch and effort research, management techniques, and their interface with commercial fisheries. Living Marine Resources is an invaluable introduction to the subject for advanced undergraduate and graduate students of fisheries science. In addition, the material presented will be valuable to fishery and social scientists, fishery officers and administrators, and students in biology, engineering, economics, and law.

Recreational or sport fishing is important for three major reasons: economic (it is a multi-billion dollar world industry); social (it is embedded in the cultures of many nations; ecological (it affects the environment and food webs in many ways). Recreational Fisheries covers a range of methods, case studies and perspectives on the multidisciplinary evaluation of the benefits and costs of sports fisheries. Tony Pitcher and Charles Hollingworth, the editors of this landmark publication, have drawn together chapters from more than 30 contributors from North America, Europe, Australia and South Africa, providing a truly international perspective on a global industry. Contents include detailed assessments, evaluations and survey mthods of sport fisheries in many countries. This book is an essential reference for anyone active in the management, assessment, policy making or development of sport and recreational fisheries worldwide. All fisheries scientists and managers will require a copy of this important publication. Environmental and aquatic scientists, ecologists and oceanographers will also find this book of great value in their work. Libraries in research establishments, laboratories and universities where fisheries and biological sciences are studied and taught should have multiple copies of this book. Covers a worldwide industry of great commercial importance. Internationally known editors and contributors from four continents. Uses case studies from around the globe to illustrate the subject. A core subject essential to fisheries scientists.

Fluctuations and declines in marine fish populations have caused growing concern among marine scientists, fisheries managers, commercial and recreational fishers, and the public. Sustaining Marine Fisheries explores the nature of marine ecosystems and the complex interacting factors that shape their productivity. The book documents the condition of marine fisheries today, highlighting species and geographic areas that are under particular stress. Challenges to achieving sustainability are discussed, and shortcomings of existing fisheries management and regulation are examined. The volume calls for fisheries management to adopt a broader ecosystem perspective that encompasses all relevant environmental and human influences. Sustaining Marine Fisheries offers new approaches to building workable fisheries management institutions, improving scientific data, and developing management tools. The book recommends ways to change current practices that encourage overexploitation of fish resources. It will be of special interest to marine policymakers and ecologists, fisheries regulators and managers, fisheries scientists and marine ecologists, fishers, and concerned individuals.

The concept of aquatic stewardship is introduced as an overarching ethical framework needed to achieve ecologically sustainable recreational fisheries on a global scale.